Group feeds a need among kids

By Jon Moffett

In Mahoning County, nearly 14,000 people under 18 are at the poverty level.

YOUNGSTOWN — Some people are trying to hold onto their jobs. Stephen Lilly wants to lose his.

The vice president of marketing and development for The Children’s Hunger Alliance said his group works to eliminate hunger.

“Essentially what we do is work to put ourselves out of business,” Lilly said. “We want to eradicate childhood hunger in Ohio.”

The nonprofit organization is based in Columbus, but works statewide. Lilly said the organization is set up to maintain awareness of state- and federally funded school meal programs.

“We’re not an emergency food bank and we’re not a purveyor of food stamps,” Lilly said. “We essentially work within the realm of school lunch, school breakfast and federal programs. We serve as kind of a broker ... essentially helping them resolve the issue of hunger in their lives.”

Sixteen percent of Mahoning County residents, about 38,500 people, are at the poverty level, according to data from the 2007 American Community Survey. Of those under age 18, 13,900, or about 26 percent, are at the poverty level.

Kimberly Wisecup, vice president of public policy for the organization, said the issue of childhood hunger spans more than just the Mahoning Valley.

“Essentially, we’re here to say that childhood hunger is a serious problem here in Ohio,” said Wisecup. “Approximately one in six children in Ohio are either hungry or at risk of hunger, and that is approximately 500,000 children.”

The organization works to raise awareness on available solutions.

“There are resources the federal government makes available to us, that we’re simply not taking advantage of,” Wisecup said.

The organization provides programs such as school breakfasts and lunches to children. Money is given to the school districts from the federal government for meals. The problem, though, is many school districts are not taking full advantage of the opportunity for school meals, especially breakfast.

“The key ingredient that we’ve seen an awful lot is the idea that many of the parents out here in the communities don’t understand that breakfast is there; breakfast is offered,” said Charlie Kozlesky, senior vice president of school and summer nutrition for the organization. “In Youngstown, all elementary children can get a no-cost breakfast.”

Lilly said a combination of the lack of awareness and initiative is to blame for many schools’ not capitalizing on the programs.

“The kids still suffer for your choices as an adult,” Lilly said. “If you, as a community, want a thriving, long-term, self-sustaining, employable base for your population, you need to reach kids and give them quality nutrition at an early age so they can grow up and achieve in the classroom ... So they can become a contributor to a community’s resources and not a drain.”

For more information on the organization, visit its Web site at www.childrenshungeralliance.org.

jmoffett@vindy.com